Microsoft lets Copilot reach live data from HubSpot, Notion and other tools
Microsoft announced general availability of federated Copilot connectors on 5 May. The connectors use the Model Context Protocol to give Copilot direct access to real-time information in third-party systems while the data stays in its original location. Initial support covers Canva, HubSpot, Intercom, Linear, LSEG, Moody’s, Notion, Google Calendar and Contacts. Administrators enable them through the Microsoft 365 admin center with OAuth controls, and custom connectors are also possible. The feature works today in Copilot Chat and the Researcher agent. Excel support for selected connectors is planned for later.
Until now Copilot often produced generic answers because it could only see data already inside Microsoft 365. Users had to copy information from sales or project tools into documents first, which created extra work and stale results that made the tool feel unreliable. The new connectors close that gap by letting Copilot query external systems directly with proper citations. Yet this only helps if IT has completed the setup most mid-sized companies have delayed over data access concerns, and the benefit is currently confined to Chat and Researcher rather than the everyday sidebars in Word or Teams.
Analysis
This update will not lift your team's 4% usage on its own because configuration still sits with IT. Pick the one tool from the list your group actually uses daily, send IT a short request to turn on its connector, then run a single real query in Copilot Chat this week to create the proof point your boss is demanding.
Citation
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